The Peace Treaty (by Swami Kriyananda)
July 2, 2022
Watch this beautiful live performance of a shortened version of Swami Kriyananda's acclaimed play "The Peace Treaty", filmed at Ananda Village in California during Spiritual Renewal Week on July 2nd 2022. Directed by Devaki Soupios.
"The Peace Treaty" reflects the tension and unrest of our own times, and offers a solution: If we want peace on earth, expansion of our sympathies, though difficult to achieve, is the means. There exists somewhere, perhaps in the middle of the great Atlantic Ocean, a fairly large island. It lies far away from any continent, and few know of its existence. It may even exist in another dimension, or in some alternate universe. Crystal Island, this little-known place is called. It is a haven of peace and beauty. In certain respects it resembles lands we all know, but in others it is unlike any place on earth. . .
Thus begins the introduction to "The Peace Treaty", a poetic and profound play by Swami Kriyananda. It starts with the victorious conclusion of a righteous war. The evil aggressor has been defeated. There is a chance finally to plan for a lasting peace. The five clans who inhabit Crystal Island hope that a formal peace treaty will be adopted and signed by all the lords of the clans. But pride, vengefulness, selfishness, and the usual dreary catalogue of human failings intervene. Gradually it becomes clear that what is really needed is a transformation in human consciousness.
"The Peace Treaty" reflects the tension and unrest of our own times, and offers a solution: If we want peace on earth, expansion of our sympathies, though difficult to achieve, is the means. Written in the spirit of Shakespeare, the language beautifully expresses the rhythms of modern speech, while ennobling it. Kriyananda has created a drama with humor and intrigue, the underlying theme of which is as serious as the universal longing today for world peace.
Find out more about the play from the director.
ABOUT SWAMI KRIYANANDA
In 1948 at the age of twenty-two, Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) became a disciple of the Indian yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda. Yogananda is best known for his spiritual classic, *Autobiography of a Yogi*. At Yogananda’s request, Swami Kriyananda devoted his life to lecturing and writing, helping others to experience the living presence of God within. He taught on four continents in seven languages over the course of 65 years. His talks, his music, and his many books have touched the lives of millions. An advocate of simple living and high thinking, his more than 150 books emphasize the need to live wisely by one’s own experience of life, and not by abstract theories or dogmas. A composer since 1964, Walters has written over 400 musical works. His music is inspiring, soothing, and uplifting. He taught meditation to thousands and has initiated many into the life changing technique of Kriya Yoga. His books and teachings on spiritualizing nearly every field of human endeavor include business life, leadership, education, the arts, community, and science. He is known as the “father of the intentional communities movement,” which began in the United States in the late 1960s, fulfilling Yogananda's dream.
Find out more at https://www.swamikriyananda.org/
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